Route 66 goes most of your way, and its best stretches are in Oklahoma. Library books and online sites can tell you exactly how to follow it and what sites (modern historic) to see. Are you visiting the south or north rim? Along the Interstate, I suggest:1) Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo, TX: 11 tailfin Cadillacs embedded in a wheat field like teeth.2) The barb-wire museum in McLean, TX. Nearby is a steakhouse where you get your 72-oz. steak and all the side dishes trimmings free... if you can eat the whole thing in like an hour.3) The Painted Desert.4) Petrified Forest National Park.5) Tucumcari is a good place to stop for the night. It s in the desert and there are plenty, plenty of motels but it s a smallish town (7000?) so there won t be much congestion or getting lost.6) Maybe an hour west of Tucumcari, where the Interstate crosses the Pecos River, is Santa Rosa, a very nice town for a stop because of the parks based around the river, some swimming ponds, and a 105(?)-foot diving pool ( Big Blue or such). Upstream is a dam, downstream is a hamlet where Coronado stopped to build a bridge.7) Albuquerque has loads to see. I like their Old Town. Petroglyphs National Monument, on its western outskirts, is worth a look. There s a tram on the eastern outskirts, too.8) Acoma, a 1000-year-old town atop a mesa in western NM, is the oldest continually-inhabited U.S. community and open to tourists.Alternatively, you could go/return on a route north of the Interstate, which would take you through the big Indian reservations, the NM big mountains, Bandolier Nat l Monument Santa Fe Glorieta Pass, or perhaps the 4 corners rest stop, Taos, Cimarron National Grassland, and Capulin National Monument (a volcano). Route 666 has its fans. Have a good trip!
Oh, you lucky couple! Go I44 to OKC then take I 40 to Flagstaff. It is a Route 66 trip done on the Interstate system. It is fun. We have done it. You will take in the the Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC along with some other stuff, Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo and maybe even Palo Duro Canyon, Albuquerque s wonderful attractions, the Painted Desert and lots to do and see in and near Flagstaff which is of course, where you would go a little northward to get to the Grand Canyon. Just remember the chorus of Nat King Cole s famous song:Well it goes through St. Louie, Joplin, MissouriOklahoma City looks mighty pretty.You ll see Amarillo, and Gallup, New MexicoFlagstaff, Arizona, don t forget Winona,Kingsman, Barstow, San Bernardino.You will be doing lines 2 through 4!Have a wonderful time getting your kicks on Route 6 6.
Grand Canyon has awesome sights (was there last week). If you don t find good places along the road at least you know you ll love the Grand Canyon!Hope you have fun!